But when she turned around, he could tell by the set of her stance that there was no chasing her off this hunt. She would do it whether he asked her to stop or not. So when she pulled a notepad out of her purse and sat down again, he answered her questions about Gordon.
And when she left, he let his head lower to the table and banged it there.
Andre’s hand landed on Ren’s shoulder. “I’m going to ask Grant if we can borrow some of his private security from The Ranch. I’ll put a detail on her and make sure someone is outside her house. She’ll never be out of sight.”
Ren looked up and let out a breath. “Thanks, man.”
Andre smiled, though it held no humor. “Of course. I’m not going to let anything happen to her.” He tilted his head. “Speaking of which, while I have you in handcuffs and locked in a room, what are your intentions with her?”
Ren frowned. “My intentions?”
Andre sat on the edge of the table, looking every bit the intimidating detective in his suit and tie. “I’ve known Cora since she was a teenager. She’s like the kid sister of the station. And I’ve known you and Hayes long enough to know that you two have always been one-and-done players at The Ranch. That’s your business. I’m not judging. But I saw how that woman just looked at you. She cares about the both of you enough to go on a crusade to clear your names. When Cora puts her heart into something, it’s all the way. She comes across as tough, and in a lot of ways, she is. But I’ve seen guys use her before. She’s been hurt. So if you’re planning to be one-and-done with her, tell her now. She deserves that.”
One-and-done? Moving on? That had always been the plan in the past. A little kink. A little fun. No big deal. This didn’t feel like no big deal.
Ren stared at him and then sighed. “Honestly, I have no idea where the hell my head is at. I’ve only known her for a few weeks. And I originally planned for it just to be some fun between friends. But she’s, I don’t know . . . She’s so . . . And last night . . . and . . . Fuck.”
Andre’s mouth curled into a smile and he patted Ren on the shoulder. “That’s all I needed to know, brother.”
“What?”
Andre shook his head, amusement in his eyes. “Come on, let’s get you back to your cell before my boss finds out I’m breaking ten kinds of protocol. I’d like to keep my job.”
Ren stood. “Why’d you do this, then?”
He walked Ren to the door. “Because your girlfriend is damn persuasive.”
My girlfriend.
For the first time in his life, he didn’t want to run at the sound of that.
It sounded . . . right.
But now he was going to have to go back to a cage and pull his hair out while his girlfriend went after the man who had tried to tear his life apart.
TWENTY-EIGHT
Cora stood at the bottom of the staircase of the apartment complex, her feet feeling like lead. She’d been to this apartment countless times. Had jogged up those stairs many a late night. But now dread sat heavy on her chest. God, she didn’t want to ask for help.
This was her best option, though. She’d done all she could at the police station, breaking more laws than she’d ever admit to. But she’d gotten into the system and found the number the anonymous tip had come from. Unfortunately, it’d been an inside line from the bar. The guy was careful. But not careful enough. The photo he’d emailed to the station had come from a cell phone. And that cell phone was registered to G.D.T. Entertainment, a company that owned a few strip clubs around Texas and Louisiana. The owner: Gordon Davis Teller.
So Cora had their guy. But the problem was she had nothing on him. Her mother and the police would need hard evidence to do anything about it or even take her seriously. And it wasn’t like she could just go to one of the clubs and start asking questions. If Gordon was following Hayes and Ren closely, he knew who Cora was. So she had to rely on what she knew how to do. Or more important in this case, who she knew.
Unfortunately, who she knew was exactly why she didn’t want to be here.
She glanced over at the car that had tailed her—compliments of Andre Medina. The guy had turned off his lights, and the nondescript Ford was tucked away in the dark parking lot, but she still felt like it was glaringly obvious. And really, the last thing she needed here was backup. The only thing in danger right now was her ego.
With a sigh, Cora trudged up the stairs. She knew he was here. His Toyota was sitting in its usual spot and she’d texted him to let him know she needed to talk to him. But it still t
ook him a while to come to the door after she knocked.
The door swung open and Kevin’s lanky form appeared in the flashing TV light coming from inside. He braced a hand on the doorjamb and gave her a lopsided smile. “Well, hey, stranger. I was starting to wonder if you’d ever stop by again.”
She let her eyes travel over him with a quick sweep. He hadn’t changed in the months since she’d seen him. He’d always been cute in that floppy-haired, California boy kind of way. But she found the sight did zero for her now. “Can I come in?”
He slid his arm up the doorjamb and made room for her to step under. “Mi casa es su casa.”
She ducked under his arm, annoyed that he didn’t just step out of the damn way, and went inside. Some superhero movie was on the TV and there was a pizza box on the coffee table. “Sorry to interrupt the Marvel marathon.”